Pipe cleaning device



May 17, 1938. E. F. GOBATTI 2,117,659

PIPE CLEANING DEVICE Filed Feb. 15, 1936 Patented May 17, 1938 UNITEDSTATES PIPE. CLEANING DEVICE Edmond F. Gobatti, Pueblo, 0010., assignorto National Cable, Inc., Pueblo, (7010., a corporation of ColoradoApplication February 15, 1936, Serial N0. 64,108

3 Claims.

This invention relates to waste pipe cleaners and, among other objects,aims to provide a greatly improved, portable, rugged, relatively simpleand effective cleaning device designed to be operated by a hand crankand having a novel chuck to release the cable or cleaning element. Theidea is to provide a convenient tool of this type which can be purchasedas a household article and used by unskilled persons to clean outclogged pipes and drains.

Other aims and advantages of the invention will appear in thespecification, when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a cleaner embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on] the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;and

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring particularly to the drawing, the cleaner there shown employs acable I!) in the form of a flexible coil of spring steel, the wire beingwound counterclockwise or in the opposite direction from the ordinarytwisted wire cables so that it has a tendency to wind up instead ofunwinding when it is turned clockwise in a drain pipe. This cable ordrill is adapted to be rotated by means of a hand crank H on a shaft l2which drives bevel gears l3 and I4 within a casing shown as beingcomposed of two sections I5 and IS. The bevel gear I4 is keyed orotherwise secured to a tubular chuck sleeve I! which is journaled at itslower end in a bearing ill at the lower end portion of the casing andintermediate its ends in a partition l9 at the upper end of the casing.The upper end of this sleeve is screw threaded to operate a chuck nut 20which cooperates with spring jaws or fingers 2| integral with the sleeveto grip the cable, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The nut 20 of the chuckis preferably made of brass or bronze so that it is rustproof and thescrew threads on the sleeve IT will work easily in it.

The chuck nut is shown as having a series of longitudinal slots ornotches 22 which are adapt-' ed to be engaged by a spring urged pin 23projecting through a boss on the section l6 of the casing and having abutton head 24 so that it may be pushed inwardly by a finger of the useras the tool is held in one hand and the crank is turned with the other.The operating parts are placed within the casing portion of the section[5 and the cover section 16 is secured thereto by machine screws 25 tohold them assembled. The

casing section I5 is shown as having a handle extension 26 which is alsotubular and through which the spring cable or drill projects.

To prevent the spring cable from coming in contact with the clothing ormarring a floor, there is shown a length of flexible metal conduit 21frictionally mounted in the upper end of the handle. This flexibleconduit may be and preferably is as long as the cable so that it willact as a housing for the entire cable. 10

The lower end of the casing section I5 is shown as having an integraltubular nipple 28 which is adapted to guide the spring cable or cleaningelement into and through the chuck sleeve IT. This nipple also serves asa holder for a cable guiding tube section 29 which is adapted to befrictionally secured thereon and prevents the cable from kinking betweenthe casing and the mouth of a drain when the cable strikes anobstruction. In Fig. 1, there is shown a second 20 cable guiding tubesection 30 slidably and telescopically mounted on the section 29, thelower end of said second tube being shown as being bent or having agoose neck for use in cleaning toilet drains or traps. However, thesecond section 25 may be straight it the device is used for cleaningsink drains and the like. The arrangement is such that the secondsection telescopes on the first tube section as the cable or drillelement is fed farther into the drain. As soon as the sec- 30 tions arefully telescoped, the operator pushes the button 24 so that the pinengages one of the grooves 22 in the chuck nut 20 and turns the crank tothe left to disengage the chuck. Then, he slides the whole casingoutwardly on the 5 cable the distance through which the cable wasadvanced and the tube section 30 slides downwardly on the tube section29 ready to be telescoped again. He holds the button in and turns thecrank to the right until the chuck again it engages and firmly grips thecable. Then, he releases the button and repeats the operation until thecable is fed into the drain pipe as far as may be necessary to removethe obstruction.

After the obstruction is removed, the cable may 45 be pulled out as thecrank is rotated. In case the cable is fed practically its entire lengthinto the drain, it may be withdrawn through the casing by alternatelyreleasing and gripping the chuck and reversing the feeding operationsde- 50 scribed above. However, the cable may be withdrawn withoutrepeating the chucking operations and washed or wiped ofi as it is beingremoved.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the improved draincleaner is very simple in 55 its construction. The casing is made ofonly two cast metal parts and entirely encloses the gearing. The chuckis manuallyoperated without any tool oi any kind and has no parts thatare easily broken. It positively grips the cable and does not crawl orslip on its ccnvolutions. Moreover, the flexible conduit and the tubularcable guides prevent any part of the cable from coming in-contact withthe clothing of the operator. Also, the improved spring cable will passand clean out all L's, crooks, Joints, grease traps, etc. and will notkink, snarl or break in any drain line. In fact, a device of this typeis almost indispensable for cleaning all drains and can be operated byunskilled persons without requiring the expense 01' having a plumber dothe work.

Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particularembodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, it is notindispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly,since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations andsub-combinations.

What is claimed is:

1. An operating device for pipe-cleaning snakes and the like comprising,in combination, a sectional casing; gearing within the casing; a handcrank for operating the gearing; a tubular sleeve within the casingconnected to be rotated by said gearing and adapted to carry a flexiblevpipe cleaning element projecting therethrough;

a chuck element on the sleeve within said casing;

arr/pee a manually operable plunger projecting through one side of thecasing adapted to engage said chuck whereby the cleaning element may begripped or released by turning the hand crank.

2. An operating device for pipe-cleaning snakes and the like comprising,in combination,

a sectional casing; a tubular sleeve Journaled for rotation within thecasing and adapted to receive a flexible snake projecting through thecasing; a gear on the tubular sleeve; a second gear within the casingconnected to drive said sleeve through said first mentioned gear; a handcrank for rotating said gears; a chuck on one end'of said sleeve havinga notched nut; and a plunger projecting through the casing and adaptedto be pressed into engagement with said chuck nut so that the snake maybe gripped or released by turning said hand crank.

3. An operating device for pipe-cleaning snakes and the like comprising,in combination, a sectional metal casing having a tubular handleegrtension'; a sleeve rotatably mounted within the casing having a chuckat one end adapted to engage a pipe-cleaning element projecting throughthe sleeve and handle; gearing within the casing for rotating thesleeve; a hand crank connected to operate the gearing; and meanspositively to engage the chuck whereby it may be operated to release orgrip the cleaning element by turning the hand crank.

EDMOND F. GOBA'I'I'I.

